


In The Damp Street of London

by later_than_the_rabbit



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Fluff, It's For a Case, Little bit of angst, Marriage Proposal, Reader-Insert, Sherlock Is A Bit Not Good, Tumblr Prompt, so its okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 10:13:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11712291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/later_than_the_rabbit/pseuds/later_than_the_rabbit
Summary: You anticipate Sherlock’s proposal for marriage, only to discover that it is not what you had thought.





	In The Damp Street of London

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt 12: “I thought we were friends. Everything… This — all of this — was for a damn case?”

You had known that having Sherlock as a boyfriend was going to be stressful. The cases, the unusual date times, the ‘bored Sherlock’ and of course the unconventionality of your relationship. Nevertheless, you had been committed to him for just over two years; two of the best years of your life no doubt and you couldn’t imagine how your life was going to get any better, well you thought you couldn’t until you had caught up to have coffee with Molly after you had both finished work one sunny afternoon.

“So…” Molly dragged out the vowel of the word after she had a sip of her vanilla latte. You quirked your eyebrow at her from over your cappuccino, licking the foam off your upper lip when you lowered your cup. 

“So… what?” Molly rolled her eyes and leaned over the table, causing your bubbly laugh to rise out of your throat at her antics. You picked up your cup again and shook your head at your friend, taking a sip as she leaned back and spoke again.

“Do you think Sherlock is going to pop the question soon?” She returned your laughed as you began to splutter into your coffee. Your eyes widened at having such a topic come into the conversation. You had never pictured yourself marrying Sherlock and told Molly just so. “Seriously? It’s been, what, two years and you’ve never thought about it? I began thinking about marrying Greg after three months!”

“Yeah well that’s different-”

“Different how?” She crossed her arms over her chest and you shifted your eyes away from her scrutinising glare and fiddled with the spoon on your saucer.

“I don’t know. It’s just, Greg and Sherlock are completely different from one another, I don’t think Sherlock had ever thought about marriage either and I’m not even sure if he will for some time, which is fine, really. I’m happy where I am now, it’s been really nice.” You heard Molly’s scoff and your head whipped up to glare at her.

“I’m sorry Y/N but really? I see how he looks you, it’s how I used to look at him.” She smiled wistfully into her nearly empty cup and played lightly with the sugar sachets she had used. “He loves you so much, I don’t doubt that he’s been thinking about it, even unconsciously. That and John told me he was thinking about it the other day whilst in his Mind Palace thingy.” The unknown information had you choking on your sip of coffee once more, your face going red and your eyes tearing up with the sudden lack of oxygen. You regained your breath quickly and stared at Molly, gaping widely and not blinking at all. “Geez you look like Sherlock when you do that.” She laughed shakily at both your near-but-not-really-near death experience and unusual behaviour yet you didn’t stop being gobsmacked at her jest which had alarms to ring in Molly’s head. She reached over the table and grasped your hand. “Y/N?”

Snapping out of your stupor, you stood and gathered your belongings, leaving some cash on the table and motioning for Molly to follow. Your face was beginning to cool down as Molly caught up to you and asked where you were going.

“If I’m going to keep having this conversation, I’m going to need more than coffee to get through it. We’re going to your place.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------

The walk over and following conversation at Molly’s flat made you feel as if you were floating on air. Molly had told you about the day she had met with John who had been giddy as he overheard Sherlock talking about which type of ring would suit your finger the most and about how he was going to do it. It was no wonder Sherlock hadn’t heard John listening in on him as John had said that he was so lost in his own little world that he was actually able to come into the room and watch Sherlock think for a while. John had told Molly that he had never seen Sherlock with such a warm smile on his face that morning. Hearing Molly retell John’s story had made you realise that Molly wasn’t just joking at the cafe, Sherlock was really planning on proposing to you, and soon at that if John had been right. 

You had walked back to Baker Street with a skip in your step and a bright smile on your face after chatting with Molly, your happiness lasting all the way into 221B and up the stairs into the flat where you saw Sherlock lying flat on his back on the ground, his eyes closed and fingers twitching as he explored his Mind Palace. You smiled fondly at him as you removed your coat and scarf and placed your bag on the table near the door. You quietly stepped over to Sherlock to watch him closer. You could see that his lips were upturned into a small smile as he thought and you couldn’t help but to mimic him as you imagined him thinking about the proposal. 

The smile stayed on your face as you prepared to make tea in the kitchen, which caused Sherlock to emerge from his mind and look around the flat. You glanced back into the room as the kettle boiled to see him glancing around the room as if confused about how he managed to get into his position on the ground anyway. You chuckled and he turned towards the noise, his furrowed expression morphing into one of joy as he saw you standing there radiating happiness. 

“Y/N. I thought you were out with Molly.” The kettle whistled as the water was finished and you turned your back on Sherlock to make tea, and to keep your amusement from him.

“I was. I might have taken longer than usual, a certain… topic came into the conversation which ate my time as Molly talked to me.” You felt arms trace patterns around your waist as they came to rest on your hips and you felt breath tickle the hairs at you neck as Sherlock embraced you.

“And what would cause that I wonder?”

“Hm you would know, you know everything.” The smirk on your face caused your voice to become higher and more playful as you spoke. You didn’t want Sherlock know that you knew about the very near proposal.

“I don’t know everything, just what I-”

“Observe? Yes I know hon. Tea?”

“Please.” He kissed your shoulder and stayed draped on your back, tracing lazy patterns on your stomach as you finished making the tea, pouring the milk and adding sugar into both cups.

“Where’s John?” Sherlock’s nonsensical movements stopped suddenly at your question. He straightened slightly, his arms still around your body, and he looked around the kitchen and tried to look into the living room.

“He was here a minute ago.”

“And by a minute ago he’s probably left to the pub or something. No matter, it’s just us then.” You smiled and pulled yourself out of Sherlock’s embrace and went to sit in John’s chair whilst Sherlock sat in his own. You placed the tea into his hands and saw that he wanted to say something to you by the way his brows had become furrowed. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“Hm?”

“And you tell me I’m thinking too hard. What’s on your mind?” You sipped at your tea and sighed as the sweet brew hit your tastebuds and as the liquid warmed you from the inside. You waited as Sherlock tried to gather his thoughts and construct words out of them yet each time he seemed to have finally figured out what to say, his mouth closed again and the silence remained in the flat. You were used to this type of silence when Sherlock’s mind worked faster than his mouth yet when the quiet stretched on for many long minutes, long past when you had both finished your tea, you grew concerned, yet excited as Molly’s voice replayed your conversation with her, especially highlighting the fact that the proposal would be soon. “Sherlock? It’s okay if you don’t-”

“I need your help. On a case.”

“Oh.” You deflated slightly as images of his nervousness amounting to a proposal fled from your mind. “Of course I’ll help. What do you need?”

“This weekend there’s an event and there’s most likely going to be another murder if we don’t go and stop the man at the event. You and I will go in as guests and John will pretend to be a waiter on the night.” 

“Okay sure. I don’t know why you were so nervous about asking me that.” You laughed to yourself and gathered the cups you had used to wash up later. As you were entering the kitchen, Sherlock’s voice once again filled the flat.

“You have to wear heels Y/N.” You froze and cringed as Sherlock continued to tell you of the attire you were required to wear. Apparently the event was one of the most prestigious balls in the country. When he had finished speaking you let out a long sigh and let your body wilt as you dragged yourself into the kitchen to wash the dishes. “Y/N?”

“I’ll still go Sherl. Don’t worry.” You mumbled to yourself as the sink filled with water and bubbles. Sherlock once again draped himself along your back and kissed you sweetly on the neck. 

“Thanks.” You leaned back into Sherlock’s embrace and closed your eyes, smiling as wedding bells rang in your ears.

“Anytime Sherl.” He kissed you once more and sat down at his microscope to study something whilst you began to scrub at the cups and plates. “But don’t think I’m not going to complain the whole time.” You smiled as you heard Sherlock’s deep chuckle accompany the sounds of domesticity in the flat.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

“This is hell! Why is everything so tight?” You tugged at your backless dress and adjusted your long white gloves on your arms, cringing as the fabric itched at your skin and prevented you from taking a deep lungful of air. The red dress was adorned beautifully by delicate lace which rested directly against your skin around your neck and shoulders, the details rubbing uncomfortably against you as the corset top constricted against your chest. You hair draped elegantly over your shoulder in gentle curls which constantly needed adjusting and holding back as you snacked on passing hors d'oeuvre which hardly quelled the pangs of hunger in your stomach. Your face was made up with a perfect smokey eye and red lip combo, the only part of your ensemble you actually liked because it was the only part you got to control. You picked up a glass of champagne as a waiter walked past you and Sherlock and you took a large drink from it, enjoying the taste of the expensive liquid running down your throat. “Though I must say being rich has it’s perks.”

“You’re not rich though.” Sherlock mumbled next to you as he led you through the pompous crowd.

“I am for tonight aren’t I?” You grinned as you took another sip from your glass, raising it slightly as you saw John through the crowd carrying a tray of little somethings. He nodded his head back to you and smiled slightly before moving on to keep himself in character. “So where is the bastard we’re looking for Sherl?” You scanned the mass of people as Sherlock directed your gaze.

“There. The one with the woman in the green dress on his arm. She will be the victim if we don’t stop him before this event is finished.”  
“I see him. So how are we going to do this?”

“We need to get everyone’s attention away from that side of the room so John can take him down swiftly.”

“Okay, and we’re going to do that how?” You looked around the room again and sipped at your champagne. You felt Sherlock remove his hand from your waist and turn you around. You felt a few people’s eyes turn your way and heard mumbling emerge from their mouths as you saw Sherlock get himself on one knee, holding out a simple velvet box in his hands.

“Y/N, you are the most interesting person I have ever had the chance to call a friend. The day I saw you walking across the street and then proceed to help me in a rather peculiar situation, I knew that you would become the most important person in all my life. I cannot imagine my days without you in them anymore and I don’t wish to. Not now, and not ever. My life was so dark without you in it and I don’t want to return to those days again. Please, will you do me the honor of marrying me?” You felt tears running down your eyes and heard nothing as the entire room had gone silent at the new revelation of events. Your grip on the champagne glass tightened slightly as you began to see red in the corners of your sight as you realised that Sherlock was using you as a way to distract the people solely for the case. The so called ‘proposal’ he had been planning had only been a means to the end, and that end was not getting you to be his fiancé.

The slap that struck his face echoed throughout the room and gasps were heard from many of the people that had been watching. You barely felt the sting that was now in your hand as you began to shake with anger.

“You bastard.” You were seething and spoke through your teeth before you began to walk away from the room, letting the glass fall from your hand and shatter on the ground with little care with the mess you had made. You looked around to see that John had indeed apprehended the man the whole scene was meant for. You couldn’t help but let out a few quiets sobs as you started to run from the room, hardly hearing Sherlock calling out for you as you left the building. 

The cold air outside startled you out of your mind as you replayed your thoughts over and over again. You shivered and rubbed your gloved hands over your arms to try to create some warmth, dabbing away your stray tears from your cheeks with your fingertips as you began to walk away from the love of your life, fully intending to leave forever after such a trick. You shivered more violently as the night grew deeper, stopping when you felt a jacket being draped over your shoulders and the most comforting scent surround you. “Y/N. Please. Talk to me.”

“No Sherlock.” You tried to walk away again yet he grabbed your arm softly and turned you around to face him. You saw that his face mirrored yours with his reddened cheeks and tear tracks down his face. “Sherlock stop. Let me go!”

“I’m sorry! Whatever I’ve done, I’m sorry Y/N.” You froze and stared at Sherlock as your anger bubbled again.

“Whatever you’ve done? Sherlock, I thought we were friends. Everything… This — all of this — was for a damn _case?_ ” Your lip quivered as you struggled to remain composed on the deserted street of London. You looked up at the sky and at the buildings, blinking fast to keep tears from falling. “I… I thought-” 

“Thought what?”

“Molly told me that you were going to propose to me soon a few days ago. I just never thought that it was going to be all for a case and not the real thing.”

“What do you mean not the real thing?” You groaned and threw your arms up to the sky, making sure the jacket wouldn’t fall to the ground as you did so.

“What do I mean? Sherlock you used me to catch a bad guy. I know we’ve done that before but this? This is-”

“A bit not good?” You deflated and sighed, breathing out an unamused laugh.

“Yeah I suppose that’s what you can call it. A bit not good.” You shook your head and wiped away the tears as the began to fall once more. You felt as if everything you had been hoping for for the past few days had been snatched away from you and that it was never going to come back. Sherlock seemed to had known where your thoughts were heading and spoke before they became the only thing you could think of.

“It’s not what you think Y/N. What I said, that was all true.” You looked up from the ground and into Sherlock’s own watery eyes. His mouth was quirked into a sad smile as he grasped your hands into his own. “I am so sorry for what has just happened Y/N. It was idiotic of me to use my marriage proposal for a case and it was never my intention to hurt you but,” He knelt down on one knee again, in the middle of the dark and slightly damp street, “it would make me so happy if you would reconsider your answer. 

“It’s true that you make me so happy, happier than I’ve felt ever in my life. It’s true that you are the most interesting person in the world to me and that I have loved you since that day you tried to defend me from my brother’s bodyguards and instead got roped into joining me for lunch with Mycroft.” You giggled at the memory of how you two met and smiled down at Sherlock. He smiled back up at you and took in a breath as tears streamed down his cheeks and rain began to fall gently from above.

“It’s true that I cannot live without you and that I would die before anything happened to you ever. Y/N,” He let go of one of your hands and reached into his pocket to pull out the black box, opening it to reveal the beautiful yet elegantly simple ring you had yet to fully admire, “will you marry me?” You smiled wider than you had ever had and nodded your head vigorously, droplets from the rain falling from your hair. You heard Sherlock let out his breath in a sob and felt him place the perfectly fitting ring onto your finger before he stood and engulfed you in the warmest hug, whispering sweet nothings into your ear before he pulled away to look into your teary eyes before he kissed you sweetly and deeply. You smiled all throughout his murmurings and the kiss as you revelled in the love Sherlock had shown for you, not caring for your now ruined appearance or the increasing rain. You hugged Sherlock tightly in the dim light of the street and cried happily as you anticipated the future with Sherlock by your side.


End file.
